Masonic Villages Wins National Beef Quality Award

Masonic Village at Elizabethtown takes pride in being more than just a beautiful place for residents to call home. Currently, about 180 beef cattle also roam 250 acres of the campus’ grounds. Since 1910, Masonic Village has been raising cattle, and now, the fresh, never frozen beef supplies several on-campus restaurants as well as 39 fine-dining restaurants in New York City.

According to the BQA organization, award winners are “exemplary models for promoting beef as a quality product from the local to the national level and work diligently to implement the newest, safest, most efficient animal health, handling, daily management and record-keeping practices.”

Residents enjoy the unique opportunity of having an operating farm on campus and often watch over the herd, being the first to report on new births.

The 2016 National Cow/Calf Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) award was given to Frank Stolzfus, supervisor of agricultural production; his staff; and the Masonic Village Farm for demonstrating exceptional animal care and a low-stress, cattle-friendly working environment by allowing sufficient feedlot time for cattle and housing cattle outside year-round to improve herd health, among many other quality initiatives.